Submitted by Andrew Melillo, May 2, 2018
The NPV Compact which was recently passed by the Connecticut State House of Representatives is extremely harmful to the Electoral College and its beneficial purpose.
State Senator Scott Frantz is correct in his position against the compact, as it strikes at the very core of our Republic. Ms. Swomley indicated Connecticut should join the other states which have adopted the compact: California, Washington, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Hawaii. Perhaps many of these states, such as California, Illinois, Rhode Island and New Jersey should focus more on the important issues facing their state (like ours): their struggling economies, unfunded debt obligations, lagging job creation and massive budget deficits rather than attempting to destroy an important mechanism in our republican form of government.
Ms. Swomley cites “most scholars” and “indeed most people…believe that the reasons for the Electoral College have ceased to exist.” This is a sweeping generalization based not in fact. There are a significant amount of constitutional scholars (many who are on both sides of the political spectrum) who continue to write and argue in favor of the benefits of keeping the Electoral College.
The NPV Compact does commit violence to the Electoral College – any such statement contrary to that is either lacking evidence or disingenuous. Having the state electors ignore their state’s election results renders that state’s democratic decision and voice null and void. Such an action is anti-democratic and extremely immoral. The compact turns the Electoral College into a de-facto popular vote without having to abolish the Electoral College. The argument is for a popular national vote, when currently the Electoral College already allows for a popular vote at the state level, but then balances the competing popular votes in each state into a national compromise. It forces candidates to focus on all states, on all voters and not just big cities.
The Electoral College was created to allow smaller states to have an equal share in the selection of the President of the United States – a national popular vote would essentially allow California or Texas determine the presidential outcome every four years, leaving the voice of millions of Americans and the majority of states in our Union – disenfranchised. That is wrong and un-American.
I am shocked that those who argue for equity, fairness, tolerance and democracy are the same people now pushing to destroy a system that has allowed equal, balanced and democratic outcomes.
Has the national dialogue descended to such depths that we are now arguing to destroy a mechanism that ensures fair and balanced results for all Americans? Are we really arguing to replicate forms of government in other nations that fail to hold a majority government for any significant period of time or whose leaders govern a nation who consistently receive, at best, only thirty percent of the national vote? Our Fathers drew from the lessons of Old Europe and its ancient history – our American experiment and experience has been a success because of our Fathers’ discretion and prudence in studying that past and putting mechanisms and a form of government in place that would help us fight against the destructive philosophies and governments of old. The Electoral College is a blessing to our American States and should remain in place if we are to strive to be fair, equitable and just in our elections”
Kind Regards,
Andrew R. Melillo
See also:
(Frank Salomone)
Letter: NPV Compact does no violence to the Electoral College (Joanna Swomley)
Letter: Gladstone Attack on Floren Unfounded and Unkind (Alexandra Bergstein)
Letter: Fiscal Freedom for CT Wrong to Attack Livvy Floren for Her Support of National Popular Vote (Sarah Darer Littman)
Fiscal Freedom for CT: Vote NO to NPV! (Laura Gladstone)